It took a little while, but eventually something dawned on Steve Tasker when he worked a Miami-New England game as the CBS sideline reporter at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. It was late in the first quarter, just after a Tom Brady interception, when the former Buffalo Bills special teams standout recognized the zen-like vibe among Patriots fans, and was able to place exactly where he had seen it before, so long ago.

Though the game was still close, with New England leading just 3-0 at the time of the turnover, the specifics didn’t seem to matter to the crowd. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,’’ might as well have been playing on a continuous loop on the stadium PA system, such was the relaxed state of the fans, who seemed certain they were witnessing another Patriots home win (which ultimately arrived, 38-7).

“Miami intercepted Brady, and for a minute you thought, ‘Hey, this is going to turn into a game,’ ’’ said Tasker, the Buffalo everyman legend...